Cozmo, Your New Best Friend

Cozmo is a robot sidekick with personality, heart, and soul. (Photo credit: Anki)

Here’s a claim to stagger the imagination: “Powered by advanced robotics, AI, and computer vision, Cozmo has a brain that processes more data per second than all the Mars Rovers combined.” That’s how Anki describes its first robot, Cozmo. Anki is the Silicon Valley toymaker best known for toy race cars you can control with a mobile app. The company was founded in 2010 by a trio of Carnegie Mellon graduates with PhDs in robotics. Anki has always considered itself an artificial intelligence and robotics company and their aim is to bring artificial intelligence out of labs and into people’s everyday lives. Their first robot, Cozmo, fits in the palm of your hand, yet employs some of the most sophisticated AI software ever made available to consumers.

Cozmo even has his own favorite games to play with his human buddies. (Photo credit: Anki)

Smarts aside, Cozmo has heart and soul in his emotion engine, which evolves as you develop a bond. He’s brought to life with complex facial expressions, a host of emotions, and his own voice and language. Cozmo is constantly scanning his environment and recognizes people while reacting to emotions. His eyes light up when he sees a familiar face. If you haven’t played with him in a while, he’ll nudge you to play one of a handful of games. If you beat him, he might sulk. Always ready to entertain and play patiently, he might just be your child’s best friend.

While Cozmo may be a supercomputer on wheels, playing with Cozmo isn’t super complicated. All you need is a compatible iOS or Android device. No assembly required. You can get your own Cozmo at Anki.com for $159.99.